Continuing Professional Development for Australian Rural Psychiatrists by Videoconference

Abstract

Objective: The Rural Special Interest Group (RSIG) of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists provided a program of educational meetings for psychiatrists and trainees in rural locations to decrease professional isolation and facilitate opportunities to obtain credit for continuing professional development (CPD) purposes in ongoing professional registration. A pilot peer review group by videoconference was also implemented in Western Australia, to provide peer review for psychiatrists working in isolation.

Method: Six national interactive videoconferenced education seminars were provided. The membership was polled prior to the program for topic preferences and requested speakers, who were subsequently approached to present the seminars. A West Australian peer review group was formed, involving psychiatrists from five different rural locations and one psychiatrist from the metropolitan area.

Results: National seminars were attended by 106 individuals (67% consultant psychiatrists, 17% trainees and 16% allied health professionals). Evaluation demonstrates favourable views of the content and quality of the presentations and impact on practice patterns.

Conclusions: Attendance at seminars via videoconferencing provided rural psychiatrists with opportunities to obtain CPD credit without the need to travel, providing a cost-effective alternative for accessing education. Involvement enabled interaction among peers throughout Australia, alleviating professional isolation and generating networking opportunities. The West Australian peer review group demonstrated sustainability with a commitment to continuation and positive impact on practice.